Group of Scientists Studying Possible Cures for TB, Other Diseases in Ancient Bones

The Observer on Sunday examined a group of British scientists that is using bones found in the city of Jericho to develop treatments for tuberculosis and other illnesses, including malaria. According to the Observer, ancient history "holds vital clues" in seeking out treatments for modern diseases, and the project is part of a "new scientific discipline in which archaeologists and medical researchers are cooperating to gain insights into modern ailments." Mark Spigelman, the group's project leader from the University College London, said, "I don't think we've got new diseases today; we have got variations of old diseases."

According to the Observer, the team -- which also includes Israeli, Palestinian and German researchers -- will be continuing the research of British archeologist Kathleen Kenyon, who in the 1950s made a series of important digs at Jericho and found bones from thousands of humans, some dating back 8,000 years. When examined, many of the bones were found to have lesions, which indicate that the city's population had TB. The researchers are studying the bones' DNA to identify genes that might have caused the people of Jericho to become susceptible or resistant to TB, therefore aiding in the development of more effective treatments for the disease. The team also will study how TB bacteria have evolved. Spigelman said, "As humans grew up, the bugs grew up -- and we are looking for these changes." He added that because TB needs an urban environment to survive and that Jericho was one of the world's oldest cities, its human remains are critical to investigating the roots of the disease. "Jericho is pivotal because it gives us a founder population from a very, very early site of urbanization," Spigelman said.

However, Simon Mays of English Heritage's Ancient Monuments Laboratory said that research on every disease is not possible through this sort of research because many illnesses do not leave marks on skeletons. "For example, viral infections tend to be rapid in their impact and leave no trace," Mays said, adding, "On the other hand, many bacterial infections" -- such as TB, leprosy and syphilis -- "do leave bone lesions. ... Each of these has become of the focus of research, as a result" (McKie/O'Loughlin, Observer, 7/13).